The 2003 Rugby World Cup rated massively for Seven (4.013 million), saving the network some face in another disappointing year. Nine, in its second year of the 5-year broadcast deal with the AFL, dominated 2003. It was also when popularity of rugby union in Australia reached its peak.
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The RWC2003 Final between England and Australia drew 4.013 million metro viewers, which was the highest rating program since OZTAM ratings began in 2001. This game was a thriller with nearly 83000 people inside Telstra Stadium, Sydney. After scores were levelled 14-14, the game went into extra time. Jonny Wilkinson from England scored a drop goal in the final minute to seal the match.
It was surpassed 14 months later by the 2005 Australian Open men’s singles final which attracted 4.04 million.
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every year (well since Youtube started) I go back and watch as much new content I can find about this historical (sad) event.
One of the pieces of information (that rarely gets a mention) is that Richard M Nixon was in Dallas the day before for a speech that was organised by PEPSI (which had large sugar fields in Cuba at that time) after that speech was given he met with (then very young ) CIA operative George H Bush in roughly the same spot where the Book Depository is located (which is 411 Elm Street).
The more you look the more you find.
Another nugget of info is from a few days later where during a media briefing by the Dallas Police chief on live TV (actually a few hours before Oswald was murdered by Jack Rubenstein (re: Ruby) an unseen journalist asked a question about an Army General that went missing after the assignation of Kennedy happened, apparently this army general was also last seen around Elm Street on November 21 1963 with Bush and Nixon and he was reported as missing on 23th November 1963.
From memory, going into the week of Monday 17 November 2003, Nine were on track for a clean sweep having won all 38 weeks of the season to that point. Only the RWC final prevented Nine from winning all 40 weeks.
Coincidentally, in the year Nine had the RWC, Seven won all 40 weeks (2011).
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November 22 1956 the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne Summer Olympics took place 63 years ago today.
Melbourne aren’t allowed to bid for the Games due to NBC owning the rights in America until 2032 and the Summer Olympics have to be held in July/August. The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics drew low ratings in the US with all events shown on tape-delay.
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GTV9 Melbourne started covering the 1956 Summer Olympics as part of the test transmissions. Did TCN9 televise the Games?
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What does US broadcast rights have anything to do with an overseas city bidding to host the Olympic Games?
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1993 - the last A Country Practice aired on 7
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22 November 1965: Mildura’s first TV station ABMV4 is officially opened. Commercial station STV8 was meant to open two days earlier but it was forced to postpone by one week at the last minute.
STV8 was broadcasting test programs each night still but kindly took the night off on the 22nd so to not distract viewers from watching ABMV’s debut
Source: Sunraysia Daily
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23 November 1963: Australians woke to the news that JFK had been assassinated in the US overnight. Probably one of the first examples of “breaking news” coverage although it would be another day or so before film footage of the news made its way here
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Because they are so valuable to the IOC
Would they have to put the film on a plane to bring it to Australia?
Yep. First film of the news was rushed to Australia and was put to air on the Sunday evening (the news broke here early on Saturday morning) but “radio pictures” had been received by the print media just hours after the assassination took place.
I don’t know how “radio pictures” worked exactly, whether it used shortwave radio or despite the name, using telephone wires to communicate data to form pictures?? I need to do some research
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24 November 2005 – THe last new episode of The Price is Right went to air on Channel Nine. During the conclusion of the final episode, Larry Emdur thanked all the colleagues for his hard work after several years.
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But Seven couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie and revived TPIR in 2012 somewhat unsuccessfully.
24 November 2007 Australian Federal Election shown on 3 networks which was won by Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party. It was notable for John Howard losing his seat of Bennelong.
10 opted for alternative programming that night.
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TPIR on Nine went for two stints in the 90s and a brief revival between 2003 and 05
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